Single blank discharge from rotary type hopper



Oct. 5, 1954 A. TRONDLE 2,690,856

SINGLE BLANK DISCHARGE FROM ROTARY TYPE HOPPER Filed Dec. 3, 1951 2 ts-Sheet l l 27 l- 2 JO 1 A 7 27 I q a Irma/m? 3 E. W Arrow/[w Oct. 5, 1954 TRQNDLE 2,690,856

- SINGLE BLANK DISCHARGE FROM ROTARY TYPE HOPPER Filed D86. 3, 1951 v 2 sheets sheet 2 WWHWOP A 20}; 775726128 35 $56 wra /was Patented Oct. 5, 1954 SINGLE BLANK DISCHARGE FROM ROTARY TYPE HOPPER Alois Triindle, Goppingen (Wurttemberg), Germany, assignor to L. Schuler A. G., Goppingen (Wurttemberg), Germany, a corporation of Germany Application December 3, 1951, Serial No. 259,605

This invention relates to a feed mechanism for the continuous feed of small fiat blanks, particularly of sheet metal, to machine tools, such as presses in which the blanks are deposited at random in a stationary drum having a rotary conical base member from which the blanks are discharged in series through a passage to the machine tool. Mechanisms comprising a stationary drum with a rotary conical base member, and in some cases arranged inclined, are known. In these known mechanisms, however, the blanks were subject to jamming and choking so that frequent stoppage in operation took place. According to the present invention there is provided a spacer member arranged in the drum above the rotary base member and extending into the drum in front of the mouth of the passage through which the blanks are discharged together with means for periodically moving said spacer to 'sweep to and fro across the mouth of the passage.

By means of this mechanism the supply of blanks in the drum is held away from the mouth of the passage in such a manner that the blanks can arrive at the passage only one by one.

A particularly simple and compact arrangement results when the drum base and the spacer are operated by a common drive. In a preferred construction the spacer comprises a lever extending across the drum and having a blank deflector at its end adjacent the mouth of the passage, which lever is operated by an eccentric drive on the rotary base. The deflector is preferably ad justable with the spacer lever so that its position can be adapted to the size of the blanks.

The mechanism also comprises, preferably, means in the drum for defining, at least in the region of the discharge passage, a channel for the blanks of a height equal to the thickness of the blanks and leading them to the mouth of said passage. Said means may be in the form of a ring contacting the inner wall of the drum and spaced from the base by a distance equivalent to the thickness of a blank. This achieves the result that the blanks are fed to the mouth of the passage in only a single layer. A further feature of the invention consists in providing the drum with a blank impelling member arranged to act on the blanks moving in a single layer in the space between the ring and the rotary base, and before they reach the mouth of the passage, to interrupt the row of blanks and thrust some of them inwardly. This device is particularly useful in the case of angular blanks such as hexagonal blanks to prevent jamming before they reach the discharge passage, and it produces a smooth flow Claims. (01. 221-183) of the blanks in series as they approach the mouth of the passage.

The blank impelling member is periodically actuated, preferably by the same drive means for rotating the base and rocking the spacer. The drive may take place, for example, by means of a cam groove in the lower surface of the rotary base member.

An example of the mechanism according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a cross section through the drum,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the drum, and

Figure 3 is a section taken on line AB of Figure 2, showing also the drive mechanism.

The mechanism illustrated in the drawing comprises a housing I supporting a stationary drum 2 which, however, may be rotatable if desired. A drive shaft 3 is journalled in suitable bearings in the drum and housing and carries a worm wheel 4 engaging a worm 6 in the shaft 5. The upper end of shaft 3 carries the rotary base member 1 of conical form, and this assembly is supported by a thrust ball bearing 8 in the housing I.

The conical base member I has a peripheral flat ledge 9 which extends to the inner wall of the drum 2.

A bearing H is attached by screws [0 to the drum 2 which bearing supports the pivot of a lever l2 which extends across the drum with its far end [3 lying on the opposite edge of said drum. The conical base member carries a cylindrical boss it from the top of which extends an eccentric pin l5. This pin l5 engages a block [6 which is slidable in a slot H in the spacer lever l2. When the conical base member I of the drum rotates, the lever I2 is given a rocking movement. The end 13 of the lever is guided below an angle piece 31 attached at I8 to the circumference of the drum. Inside the drum there is mounted a ring [9 so arranged that it contacts with the inner wall of the drum while its lower edge is spaced a distance a from the annular ledge 9 of the rotary base, the spacing being equivalent to the thickness of a single blank with clearance for motion. Near the end 13 of the spacer lever l2 guided by the angle piece 31, there is mounted a blank deflector which is secured to the lever by means of a nut 2| in such a manner that its position thereon can be adjusted. The deflector 2U sweeps to and fro close to the inner wall l9 and extends downwardly to the ledge 9 of the drum base.

Near the deflector 29 is located the discharge passage 22 for the blanks, which passage comprises also a discharge opening 23 in the wall of the drum of height equal to the distance a. A discharge device 24 having a knife edge 25 is mounted below the ring 19 in such a manner as to provide a guide passage leading to the opening 23. Externally of the drum is arranged a conduit 26 leading to the machine tool, for example, a press, the arrangement being such that the place of discharge 22, 23 from the drum also constitutes the place of entry into the conduit 26.

At a distance from the place of discharge which is less than 90 there is provided an impeller pin 21 extending through a bore 28 in the wall of the drum 2, which pin is fixed in a slide 29 by means of a clamp screw 30. The slide 29 is guided between supports 3|, 32 fixed to the bottom of the drum. At its inner end the slide has a pin 33 carrying a ball bearing 34 which engages a cam slot 35 cut in the bottom of the conical base member 7. On rotation of the base member I the pin 21 will move in and out through the bore 28 into the path of the row of blanks moving between the bottom of ring l9 and the ledge 9.

When blanks 36 are placed into the drum, owing to the conical form of the drum base 1 and the actual centrifugal force, they are carried below the ring l9 and are carried by the ledge 9 in the direction of the discharge passage 22, 23. The movement of the deflector 20 prevents the blanks from jamming in front of the knife edge 25 of the guide passage 24. The periodical engaging of the pin 21 between the blanks 36 lying below the ring 19, and the expelling of some of said blanks out of the row toward the interior, results in prevention of any jamming or choking and a smooth flow of blanks one by one to the mouth of the discharge passage, even in the case of blanks of angular formation.

I claim as my invention:

1. Feed mechanism for continuously feeding small fiat blanks of sheet metal and the like to a machine tool comprising a drum into which the blanks are deposited at random and having a bottom portion and a side wall with a passage therethrough near the bottom portion, a rotatable conical member forming a base for said drum and having a pin extending therefrom at a point spaced from the rotary axis so that the pin will follow a crank motion, means for discharging the blanks singly through the passage in the wall of the drum to the machine tool, and a spacer pivotally mounted at one end along the side wall and over the drum above the rotary base and extending across and into said drum in front of the mouth of said passage, said spacer being in the form of a lever having a slot into which the pin projects and having a blank deflector at its other end adjacent the mouth of the passage, said spacer periodically moving to and fro across the mouth of the passage by means of the pin upon rotation of the conical member by a sliding action of the pin in the slot.

2. Feed mechanism according to claim 1, in which the deflector is adjustable on the spacer lever by sliding movement thereon.

3. Feed mechanism according to claim 1, in which a ring is provided in the drum contacting the inner wall thereof and spaced from the base by a distance equivalent to the thickness of a blank.

4. Feed mechanism according to claim 1, in which a ring is provided in the drum spaced from the rotary base, and in which a blank impelling member is provided connected to be driven by the conical member and arranged to act on the blanks moving in a single layer in the space between said ring and said rotary base, and before they reach the mouth of the passage, to interrupt the row of blanks and thrust some of them inwardly.

5. Feed mechanism according to claim 1, in which a ring is provided in the drum spaced from the rotary base, and in which a blank impelling member is provided connected to be driven by the conical member and arranged to act on blanks moving in a single layer in the space between said ring and said rotary base, and before they reach the mouth of the passage, to interrupt the row of blanks and thrust some of them inwardly, the blank impelling member being periodically actuated by the conical member driven by the drive means for rotating the base and reciprocating the spacer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 549,467 Sisson Nov. 5, 1895 617,990 Meischner Jan. 1'7, 1899 975,840 Doidge Nov. 15, 1910 

